101 Ways To Show Your Love
by Silver Sounds
Summary: When Ikuto returns from Europe, he finds a list...And decides it's time to prove himself.
1. Make a List Or Steal One

EMERGENCY AUTHOR'S NOTE

I need to make this utterly clear because of a review I recieved about my use of the nickname "Tadagay". I swear that i'm not homophobic, or against any types of sexual nature. I actually embrace all types of sexuality and I want to apologise to the person who reviewed, despite the fact they might not see this. "Tadagay" is used in a lot of different other stories, and I adore Tadase. I personally don't believe it's homophobic or incredibly rude, but I understand if I've offended some people. I am _truly_ sorry to have hurt your feelings, I might as well change it now. Sorry again for anyone who was offended.

1. Make a '101 Way To Show You I Love You' list or find one

His left sapphire eye twitched once again as he read over the printed sheets of paper. They were creased, and torn in some places. He'd already read over the list five times, the sixth time was to make sure he was reading it properly. His eyes flicked up to his little friend, who was smiling smugly, proud of what he'd produced for his bearer, then flicked back downwards to read the neatly written name in the right hand corner. Was it weird that a grown (only twenty three) man was considering this?

"Yoru…"

Yoru's little yellow eyes widened and he looked at his navy blue haired bearer, suddenly very scared at the dark tone.

"Ikuto?"

Ikuto Tskyiomi eyes looked back up at his guardian character.

"Really? You stole this from the Kiddy King?" Yoru relaxed slightly and smiled nodding.

"Yup!"

Sure enough the name up the top said _Hotori Tadase_.

_Why would Tadase have-oh that's just not right. Is he seriously thinking this would woo Amu? Ugh, all these things are so cheesy! _

"Why did you bring it to me?"

"Because he doesn't deserve to do all that stuff-nya!" Ikuto shrugged to himself.

_Well, it's probably more like he doesn't __**need**__ to do all this stuff. The kid's probably already snagged her away from me whilst I was travelling. _

"Ikuto! You should do it-nya!" Ikuto looked up at his character. Yoru looked serious, a new thing.

"Yoru, you can't be serious, this gripe is so cheesy. Why would I want to play this little game?"

_Apart from the fact that I love her and she doesn't believe me?_

"You _need_ to Ikuto-nya! Baka King doesn't want Amu like you do! Besides, Amu _is_ a young high school girl that will fall for every cheesy trick on the list." Ikuto sighed and looked up at the sky once more. He thought the sheet was stupid. Whoever had written it needed to get a life. (A.N: -_- That'd be me…) But Yoru presented a good argument. He wouldn't be able to live with himself if Tadagay got Amu and he didn't. And Amu _would _ be one of those girls to fall for the stupid list requirements.

_101 Ways to Show Your Love…_

"101 Ways to Show Your Love…" Yoru floated anxiously over his bearer. "How do I know if these will actually work?" Yoru could see his bearer coming around to the idea and floated over to the window.

"Amu is with the Guardians right now-nya. I bet Tadase will be trying out next un-ticked box right now!" Ikuto gulped and looked down at the list. _7. Say "I love you" in a language she'll never figure out unless you tell her._

The curtains fluttered as Ikuto jumped out his window and into the midday sunshine. Yoru floated beside him directing him to his old high school and to a tree right outside the second story window to the classroom Amu was currently situated with her charas and friends.

He had a view through the open window to see a lovely pink haired young woman chatting happily with older versions of the chibi children that used to foil Easter's plans for the Embryo, and his own. The air seemed to shimmer around her as she lounged on her desk in the same dress uniform from when he and Utau attended. She looked lovely in the uniform, having matched it with her black and navy thigh socks and blue cross pins in her as usual messy hair. She looked so much taller than when she was only in elementary, and it also looked as if she had filled out her body better than Ikuto had ever expected. The milk must have helped. Ikuto caught himself staring and chastised himself, instead watching Tadase as he watched Amu who was delicately picking at her bento lunch, lovingly.

Chara Changing with Yoru, his cat ears picked up the conversation Amu was having with Tadase while the short blonde shrimp and purple cross dresser were bickering uselessly.

_Sexual tension alert. Wow. Those guys should just shag each other now._

The only one not there was the small younger annoying girl who used to wear bows in her hair. Around the eighteen year olds hovered the remains of their Shugo Chara. Ikuto was happy to see Amu still had Ran Miki Su and Dia by her side, all of them doing their own thing with the cross dresser's and the shrimp's. He had to grab Yoru's tail before he could go and announce himself to the other chara, therefore revealing Ikuto in the process.

"...had no idea you were trying to learn a new language Tadase-kun. What is it?" Her voice was still as beautiful as before. He longed to hear it directed at himself. Tadase seemed to blush and shook his head.

"It's long and complicated to say, but I learnt this one phrase…Can I say it to you?" Amu laughed, a lovely ringing of bells that chimed.

_Don't you dare say it Tadase._

Amu nodded clapping her hands, and her chara seemed to join in with her.

"Yes please!" Tadase blushed a further red as cross dresser and shrimp both turned to watch.

"Uhm, well, _Miluji tě_ Amu-chan."

_What the _ was that?_ Ikuto let out a quiet groan. It was so cheesy!

Disturbing him from his thoughts was Amu clapping and asking with an excited tone what Tadase had said. Tadase blush a further shade of red and shook his head.

"I'm sorry Amu-chan, I don't think I remember the translation, I only just learnt it." Amu shrugged and laughed as her charas started saying it to each other. Amu looked over to Tadase and gave him a smile that took all the breath of Ikuto's lungs. _How could she look at him with such adoration?_

"Well that was fantastic Tadase. Such a beautiful language. When you remember what it means tell me!"

Ikuto shook his head. His poor Amu was falling for the terrible check points of Tadase's list. This meant a lot of pain for him in the near future. He turned and jumped down from the tree, letting Yoru float on behind him. They headed back to the apartment in silence until Yoru couldn't handle the silence.

"Well?"

"Fine. I'll do it."

Ikuto smirked to himself. His strawberry was in for one hell of a ride.


	2. You May Now, Begin

_2. Think about her_

Amu let out a groan as she flopped down on her bed, loosening her tie. The day had been long, longer than usually, and during lunch she felt like she was being watched. It seemed to go away, but she couldn't shake the feeling of change that was about to happen. Ran, Su, Miki and Dia were talking amongst themselves and Amu rolled over to look at the pictures on her phone. One in particular she couldn't look away from.

Ikuto.

It was him in France when he was first travelling, and it was taking sneakily by Yoru. It was the only photo she had of him. God how she wanted to see him again. He'd be twenty three by now…It had been so long and still the alley cat wandered through her mind day to day, refusing to be forgotten. Whether it was a photo she had gotten from Utau sent by Yoru, or a message from Ikuto himself via Utau. He never had sent her anything himself.

It was times like these she wished he was there. When she felt like she was growing up too fast. She wore bras now, and was in her final year of high school. She was expected to move out and go to collage so soon, and the talk of her final exams had triggered the thoughts of her childhood. She missed the alley cat. And thoughts of him still kept her up at night sometimes, when the moon was up and the sky was clear. What was he doing? What did he look like now? Had he met up with his father yet?

Amu felt herself slowly getting more saddened by her train of thought and snapped her phone shut, shoving a pillow in her face and groaning again.

"Amu-chan?" Came the multiple tiny voices of her charas. She had caught their attention. She lifted the pillow off her face and rolled to sit up, looking over to her shugo chara.

"It's nothing! Just reminiscing for times when all my problems revolved around x-eggs and the Embryo and Easter." The small floating girls all nodded sagely.

"Growing up is a new adventure though Amu-chan-desu. Where you can make more new, good friends!" Amu smiled at Su and nodded.

"I know-" Amu was cut off by three very large hiccups all in a row. She clamped her hand over her mouth and furrowed her eyebrows. He charas laughed and started teasing their bearer.

"Someone's thinking about you Amu-chan!"

"Maybe it's Tadase!-desu." Miki shook her head grinning like a Chesire cat. Amu's face was red as she protested the myth that three hiccups in a row meant someone was thinking about her.

"No Su, I think it has to be _Ikuto!_" The girl turned completely red now, and it only set the charas into another fit of laughter. Ran giggled and pointed to her ears.

"It _must_ be true! Her ears are red!"

"Ikuto-nya. It looks like you popped a brain cell-nya! What are you doing?"

"Thinking about Amu."

3. Look into her eyes.

4. Go to her house.

It was only a few days later when Amu was standing on her balcony watching the moon's path across the sky when she thought of Ikuto again. She had a pair of pink frilly pyjama shorts on and a tank top and bra, and had pulled on a hoodie because outside it was slightly brisk. A head band pushed her hair out of hair face as pins held it back. She thought back to when the alley cat would drop down on the balcony when she was only in a towel and laughed. She'd been much more a picture of innocence than now. She'd grown out of the awkward stage of life that is pre-teenager-hood, and into the young woman on the cusp of being an adult stage.

Leaning against the railing, Amu watched the moon in a stupefied state of mind until suddenly a black shape dropped down onto the railing beside her, startling the teenager so much, Amu leapt back against her glass door. On her railing sat a tall young man dressed in a grey hoodie, white V-neck shirt underneath and a pair of black tight jeans and biker's boots. Blue cat's ear poked through his mop-like matching hair and a tail twitched behind him. His smile was more like a smirk at her sudden surprise. His face had only aged in his favour, adding a more manly charm to his fine features.

The one thing that always remained the same though was his eyes. Sapphire blue stared into her topaz eyes dedicating a myriad of feelings into her heart like a hammer sticking in the last nail to a coffin. His eyes were still so beautiful, but now Amu could really appreciate their beauty with the emotions of a matured (not quite) woman.

"Amu."

She couldn't help the sigh as his smooth voice washed over her, letting it combine with the power his eyes had over her, and she succumbed to darkness.

Ikuto caught the beautiful woman before she could fall and hurt herself. He picked her up and carried her inside to her bed and lay her down gently. Shaking his head ruefully he lifted her feet and placed them on a pillow while Yoru fanned her with a paper fan,

"All I did was look at her. I just made her _feint._"

"You surprised her-nya. We've been gone for a long time Ikuto-nya. Also, you can check off the fourth check point." Ikuto shrugged.

"Since when did you actually think things through Yoru?" Yoru pouted and floated off out the window, leaving Ikuto to follow suit after trailing his fingers down her cheek, her eyes fluttering, and tucking her under the covers.

5. Listen to her.

Amu woke up in her bed under the covers, mid-morning to the sounds of Ami rushing in. The pre-teen younger sister was asking for Amu to take her somewhere with her friends. Amu rolled over and groaned holding her head.

"Fine. Fine. Just give me 15 minutes!" Ami squealed and dashed back out of the room, thanking her older sister. The older girls characters were all milling around now, ready to go out whilst Amu lay staring up at the ceiling.

_That wasn't real…Was it? Ikuto _couldn't_ have been here…But…_ She looked down and saw herself still in her hoodie with a pillow under the blankets where her feet must have been resting. _My god…Surely… Ikuto…_

Amu sweat dropped and pushed a pillow into her face.

_I can't believe I feinted…_ _in front of __**Ikuto**_!

The pinkette rolled out of bed with a tired smile to her characters.

"Morning girls…" Amu considered telling her charas about Ikuto, but decided against it as she dressed in tight pink jeans, converse and a black loose short sleeve shirt that hung off her shoulders showing off a white tank top underneath. She grabbed her bag and headed out to escort her sister to her friend's meeting place. Ran, Miki, and Su followed after the two sisters whilst Dia stayed in her egg.

Knowing she had to go back to pick up her sister, Amu spent the day shopping in the mall browsing the shops looking for sales. It was getting into the late afternoon when Su twitched and tugged at Amu's shirt.

"Amu! There's an x-egg-desu!" Miki and Ran perked up and Amu felt her excitement double. An x-egg! Sure it was bad that a child's dreams were on the line, but it meant something for Amu to have the chance to help someone's life change to something better. She dashed off following her charas as they shouted and flew off in the direction of the park.

Getting there she saw the egg floating above a small child slumped on a park bench, around him the people had all slumped in their positions. Ran flashed in front of Amu's face and Amu felt the transformation of Amulet Heart take over her as her fingers flicked over the Humpty Lock still chained around her neck.

"My heart: Unlock!"

The transformation only took a few seconds but Amu could feel everything soar as she came out of it in the crazy pink outfit so similar to Ran's.

"Impossible!"

The fight was more of a scuffle, Amu having done this for more than a couple of years, and sooner rather than later Amu was opening the heart of the egg and changing back into her regular form. She spun on the balls of her feet, happy as she watched the heart's egg fly off to its owner. It was only in the aftermath of the scuffle when she heard the strings.

Amu knew those strings.

She set off running at a fast pace, her characters yelling behind her. Memories trickled through her mind as she rounded a corner to the gazebo. The haunting music stopped suddenly as Amu saw the same man from last night surprised, look down at her. Amu was panting and could feel her emotions fall out of whack with the sight of man standing before her up the set of stairs.

"Amu…" Amu felt her eyes water.

"Why didn't you text me? Or call me! Ikuto you idiot! You've been gone so long! Why didn't you send word more often! Why couldn't you talk to me, but you could send messages to Utau to give to me? God Ikuto! And what the hell was last night? Just turning up and disappearing just as fast!" Amu bit her lip, stopping herself from blowing things even further out of proportion.

_I guess I missed him more than I believed I had._

Ikuto put down his violin and clicked the case shut. Before she could spin and run off he had leapt down the stairs and gripped the young girl's hands.

"Amu…" Amu shook her head and let out a small laugh. Feeling her heart speed up with the pressure his hands were gripping hers she pulled away and wrapped her arms around herself. Yoru turned up with a cocky smirk as Ran Miki and Su demanded his attention with excited voices.

"Sorry…I didn't think I'd be that upset… It's been a long time Ikuto-kun." Ikuto frowned at the lack of contact until he reminded himself that he _had_ been gone for years.

"I'm sorry Amu…I…Guess I just caught up in Europe…Weeks kind of turned into years, and I believed you might not have wanted me to send you a lot of messages… Kiddy King and you had a good relationship going on when I left…" Amu shook her head blushing slightly.

Ikuto was actually listening and responding to her…Not teasing her for her outburst…Had the teenage Ikuto matured somehow? Impossible…The bat boy was surely going to tease her very soon.

Ikuto thought about the list and sighed. What better time to really begin the fifth checkpoint despite wanting to tease her about the over emotional response. She had really _missed_ him! Well now he wanted her to _love_ him too. And if holding off on the teasing and responding seriously was what it took, then that was what he'd do. He always listened to her no matter what she said…It was the responding with relevance that failed him.


	3. Settling In

[A.N. The first check point on the list was to actually make the list, or in Ikuto's case; steal one!]

Disclaimer: I don't own Shugo Chara! I know! So sad! But at least it exists, that all I can say!

6. Give her a hug.

Afternoon was falling into twilight and people had started leaving the park. Amu turned to leave but looked back… She couldn't help what tumbled out of her mouth.

"Are you staying for good now? Will I…see you around again?" Ikuto gave a mischievous grin and rushed the poor 18 year old, stuffing her into a tight embrace. Amu shrieked and tried to wriggle out of his arms, but Ikuto had a tight hold, and if the pinkette was being truthful, she kind of didn't want to let go. This was the most real thing to happen to her for a very long time…And he smelt like chocolate and almonds. Her hands were pressed against his hard chest as Ikuto bent down to gently whisper in her ear. Amu twitched, thinking he'd bite her ear like he used to.

"Silly strawberry, you will always see me again." Amu frowned as her phone buzzed loudly. She shoved herself out of Ikuto's arms and fiddled with her pockets before running off loudly swearing to herself phone at her ear listening to Ami yelling at her asking where she was. When she hung up Amu spun around and waved cautiously at Ikuto who was watching after her.

"She took that calmly-nya." Miki laughed and shook her head.

"We'll see the aftermath when she's back home in our room." Ikuto picked up his violin case and smiled politely at Miki, who was the only one drifting behind from the sprinting away Amu.

"Sorry Miki. You best go be the voice of reason then." Miki shrieked and nodded, exclaiming she was the most reasonable and cool chara Amu had. She dashed off at high speed whilst Ikuto Chara Changed with Yoru, and they headed back to their apartment.

Ikuto could still smell strawberries even as he fell into bed, thinking of the next item on the list.

Say "I love you" in a language she'll never figure out unless you tell her

It was a week before she saw him again. Amu was bussing tables in a small café in town to help for her collage funds, and she'd been working there since sixteen. Deft with balancing trays of hot beverages and plates of food, the pinkette was able to zip around the tables offering a brilliant smile to each customer. Ran wasn't even needed for the easy conversations that struck up with the strangers.

Amu had just come in from her break, and was tying on her black apron over her short black skirt and white blouse when a tall business like man walked in accompanied by a blue cat and his little kitten Chara. Amu yelped and hid behind the sweets display. Her friend and co-worker, Airi looked down from plating up a slice of blueberry cheesecake and frowned at the pinkette.

Airi was a previous bearer of a shugo chara, but hers had disappeared a year ago. Despite the disappearance she could still see other people's would be selves, and sometimes found it depressing. This was why Amu rarely took Miki, Ran, Su or Dia with her to work. Amu had found an excellent friend in Airi, she was completely loyal, a voice of reason when needed and a buffer for all sad thoughts when they came around. She was also an excellent singer.

"Amu…What the hell are you doing down there?"

"Hiding?" Airi sighed and bent down.

"From who, and why?" Amu shook her head and Airi stood up, scanning the crowd.

"The blue haired man, with the cat chara lounging on the table. He an enemy or something? You want me to call Kensai-san?" Amu yelped and shook her head, tugging on Airi's black jeans. The blonde sighed. Who knew people with Chara's would be so difficult to reason with? Surely when her own chara Presley was around she wasn't like her dear pink friend. "Then what's the problem? You have to serve him sooner or later, and table 14 is waiting for their cheesecake and chai latte." Amu gulped.

"He's Ikuto, Airi." Airi's face folded into confusion, then clicked her fingers, a face full or understanding.

"Then you have to go serve him! Right now! Otherwise he'll think you're incompetent!" Amu was hauled to her feet with her tray to take to table 14 and shoved out from behind the sweets display. She glared at her blond friend whose blue eyes twinkled with mischief.

"Thank me later!"

Amu sighed and headed for her table, apologising to the waiting customers profusely. Getting out of pad of paper and her pen she headed over to Ikuto's table. He was talking quickly in a different language to the taller, moustached man who was rustling documents and going over things with a pen. Amu sidled up and gave a quiet cough. Ikuto didn't look up from the document he was signing but Yoru waved and the other man looked up with a polite smile.

"Ah, yes, I think I shall have a cappuccino please…And what sweet would you recommend today ma Cherie?" Amu smiled.

"Well, our resident _pâtissier_ has made a heavenly moist chocolate mud cake with a buttercream chocolate icing and strawberries, or if you want something less rich, we have our health nut favourite that everyone loves, which is carrot cake with cream cheese icing filled with walnuts, spices, and a dash of zucchini. There's banana loaf that comes nice and warm with butter to spread or coconut oil that's been hardened to a spread. It also works well with our seasonal favourite of chocolate chip hot cross buns." At the words "chocolate cake" Ikuto's head snapped up to look at Amu who was smiling as she listed off a few other sweet dishes to the man.

"They all sound wonderful, but I fear I must go with the carrot cake ma _Cherie_, with an extra dollop of cream cheese on the side if possible." Amu nodded with a small laugh.

"Of course I can do that." She bit her lip and kept her bright smile.

"And you sir?" Ikuto looked stunned for a second but composed himself, quickly asking for a hot chocolate and a slice of the chocolate cake…With plenty of strawberries. Amu bowed and hurried away to place the order then began dashing around taking more orders and serving more customers. Airi called her over with Ikuto's table's food.

"I wonder why he likes _strawberries_ Amu…" Amu blushed and flicked her friend a brief glare before walking over to Ikuto's table. She placed the drinks down first and from a small try and tongs placed two marshmallows onto the side of the saucer holding Ikuto's hot chocolate. She took pleasure in the pale pink colour of them.

She then set down the two dishes of cake and little bowl of cream cheese before bowing and getting back to serving.

It was an hour before Ikuto and the man finally stood up shaking hands. As the taller man left, Ikuto sat back down and stretched whilst Yoru floated amongst the people. Amu had already snuck the little cat chara a sardine from the kitchen, and now he floated around longingly searching for more. Amu sighed as she made her way over to clear his third hot chocolate mug away. He smiled at her as she grabbed the dishes.

"Amu…I didn't know you worked." Amu shrugged.

"I started here when I turned 16. I don't want mama and papa to pay for my college tuition." Ikuto nodded.

"When do you get off?" Amu turned to the clock on the wall.

"Half an hour, why?" Ikuto smirked.

"I'll walk you home." She shook her head and straightened her back.

"I'm not going home; I'm meeting friends at the cinema." Ikuto shrugged.

"I'll escort you there then." Amu sighed, irritated, and headed back to the kitchen.

True to his word Ikuto sat at his table until Amu walked out dressed in her casual clothes of a neat little purple woollen sweater dress, a pair of black leggings and black calf high boots. Ikuto stood up and held the door open to the café. As the two walked out into the cooling afternoon, Airi rushed out dressed in white tight jeans and black t-shirt with words all over it, mainly lyrics. She shot a look at Ikuto and enveloped Amu in a hug.

"Have fun tonight with your friends…" She looked up at Ikuto, frowned then shrugged. "And call me if you need anything. Anything at all."

"But you're gig tonight-"

"Is in some grungy pub that I honestly don't enjoy being in." the blond gave a small smile to Ikuto.

"You take care of her ya' hear? Otherwise you'll have me to deal with and I'm one heartless bitch." She pulled something out of her pocket and with a little grin tossed the small sardine to Yoru who leapt for it with a happy cry. She giggled and shot Amu a warm smile. "Most of the time at least."

Amu waved and headed off down the street with Ikuto in silence. They didn't talk until Amu finally burst.

"Who was that guy you were talking to?" Ikuto looked down at her curious expression and smirked.

"He's a conductor for an orchestra I was thinking of joining up with. He'd really like me to join so we were talking about payment and hours." Amu nodded.

"Does this one also travel?" Ikuto shot the pinkette a look and let his smirk widen.

"You think I'm about to leave again?" Amu shrugged.

"How should I know? You were speaking another language; you could be traveling to Europe again." Ikuto shook his head and brought the younger girl under his arm.

"This is just a local thing. The furthest I'll go is the major cities as far as I know."

"Then why speak a foreign language?" Ikuto laughed.

"It's French. And it's because it's the conductor's native language. Since I can speak it, I thought it might be nice for him." Amu eyes widened in surprise but rationalized he must have learnt it while overseas.

"Say something in it!" Ikuto chuckled and looked at Amu, who was smiling like a curious little kid.

"_Mon but pour toujours et un jour après que forever sera pour vous l'amour_"

Amu blushed at the tender look that passed on Ikuto's face in the afternoon light. His usual smirk was replaced by a tender and gentle smile as he looked out across the streets.

"_I will forever, and a day after forever, love you always."_

Amu grinned at Ikuto.

"And? What does it mean? What did you say?" Ikuto chuckled and shook his head.

"I'm not telling."

8. Give her a compliment

Amu straightened out her dress once more in the mirror and sighed. Tonight Papa was having over an important work colleague for dinner. Everyone had to dress up and look nice for the man and his wife. Amu had let her hair down and used a lotion to tame the fly-away hairs she usually let free. Her dress was pale pink and held up with black halter spaghetti straps. It cinched at the bust and then flowed free with layers of pink gossamer over the top. She put on two gold bangles and pushed her hair down once more before twirling for her charas.

"What do you think?" Miki preened, proud of her work.

"I'm a master. It's perfect." Ran, Su, and Dia all agreed happily and cheered at Amu's appearance in the mirror. She smiled at herself.

_If only Ikuto could see. He'd definitely notice I've grown up if he saw me in this!_

Amu turned to head downstairs when a small cough caught her attention.

"Wow Amu. You've dressed up haven't you? For me?" Amu yelped and spun, looking at Ikuto who had opened her balcony door and now leant against it with a small smirk. Amu hadn't seen him since he walked her to the cinema and disappeared before anyone noticed him.

"I-Ikuto! O-Of course not! Idiot! Papa has a work friend coming over for dinner!" Ikuto chuckled.

"Relax Amu." Amu pouted and spun away heading for the door.

Ikuto smiled ruefully and grabbed Amu's wrist, pulling her back. She refused to look up at him.

He'd been standing there as she adjusted her dress, stunned to silence by the pink beauty standing before him. She was so gorgeous in her little pale dress. Absolutely stunning. Perfection in a woman. She _was_ a young woman now.

_No doubt about that…_

"Slow down Amu. Hey, at least look at me when I'm talking to you?" Amu looked up and seemed to go still as Ikuto wrapped his arms around waist.

"I-Ikuto…" Ikuto smiled, loving the way she blushed as his name fell from her mouth. He leant down and gently nudged her ear with his nose.

"You look absolutely beautiful in pink Amu. An angel."

Amu turned bright red and pushed Ikuto off, embarrassed.

"Ikuto! Idiot! Get out of here! I have to go down now! Don't be here when I come back!" Ikuto laughed with the same smirk and watched as Amu stomped out of the room. She shut the door and sighed, pressing her cool hands to her hot cheeks and flushed as she flashed back to Ikuto's face as he complimented her. She blushed again and screamed at herself internally before cooling off and heading downstairs to play the polite oldest daughter.

After dinner, when Amu walked up the stairs, ready to fall into bed and sleep, she couldn't help but hope Ikuto and ignored her and stayed. She opened the door slowly. He was gone, the balcony door still open.

9. Play with her hair

It was a few days later, when Amu was half an hour to the end of her shift with a stack of blueberry pancakes for table 13, that she saw him again. He wore a black woollen coat and tightly wound grey scarf on the rainy afternoon. He walked in with Yoru floating behind him, letting in the chilly breeze blowing leaves about outside. Amu bit her lip and smiled at table 13 as she placed the pancakes down.

She still thought about his comment, and as a result had resulted to wearing pale pink accessories nearly every day. A sad and sorry truth. Amu headed over to his small table in the corner and felt the rise in blush as he looked up at her with an amused smirk.

"Welcome, what can I get for you today?" Ikuto widened his smirk into a cheeky grin.

"Anything with strawberries today?" Amu turned red and glared at the man. _Oh you are _so_ going down!_ Battling against her own rising emotions she smiled sweetly and nodded.

"We have sponge cake with cream filling layered with strawberries, strawberry tart, strawberry cheesecake, and mud chocolate sludge cake layered with strawberries and a chocolate _ganache_ middle also filled with strawberries…Do any of these desserts appeal to you today?"

Ikuto's eyes widened and he chuckled; amused by her endearing tries at being professional around him.

"That last one sounds like the _perfect_ blend of _chocolate_ and _strawberries_. I'll also have a hot chocolate Amu." Amu huffed and noted down the order before storming off, ignoring Ikuto's laughter after her.

After taking him his order, Ikuto pulled out a book and began reading. It was only when Amu came at the end of her shift to clear away his dishes that he looked up with a small smile. Amu's heart thumped, painfully aware that Ikuto's face was quite close to hers as she bent to pick up his dishes. He reached out and grabbed a tendril of hair that hung loose from her ponytail, and twirled it around his finger.

Amu was held in place by the intensity with which he looked at her.

"Thank you for the cake Amu. It was delicious."

"T-That's alright…" Ikuto bit down on a chuckle and he smiled, placing a delicate kiss to the tendril of hair as he played with it.

"I will come and pick you up from school on Friday, to walk you home; I'm quite busy with work every other day." Amu blanched but Ikuto was already giving her a cheeky grin before slipping out of his chair to go and pay for his food.

Amu was left there stuttering to herself, even after Ikuto left. Airi sidled up with a cheeky grin.

"He looks pretty cocky Amu. I think Tadase has a bit of competition." Amu flushed bright red and chased the blond into the kitchen calling her an idiot.


	4. Emergency Intervention

Can everyone do me a wonderful favour and look back to the first chapter? I put up an Author's Note that's really important to me if you read. I'm not a homophobe, I don't agree with people who are against gay marriage. I support gay rights to the fullest because I myself HAVE had relations with my own gender… Thanks, next chapter up soon ^-^


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